Cinematograph spoolcase



Dec. 29, 1931. A I J THIORNTQN I 1,839,064-

CINEMATOGRAPH SPOOLCASE Filed Jan. 26, 1927 Z'Sheets-Sheet l I NVENTORDec. 29, 1931. J THQFQNTQN 1,839,064

GINEMATOGRA-PH SPOOLGASE Filed Jan. 26, 192' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TORATTORN Y Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN EDWARDTHORNTON, OF WEST HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN OWDENOBRIEN, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND CINEMATOGRAPH SPOOLCASE Application filedJanuary 26, 1927, Serial No. 163,807, and in Great Britain February 24,1926.

qusnal spindles for driving the drum and spool of a cinematogra'phcamera or projei-tor whereby the film is permanently protected withinthe casing of the spoolcase and needs no threading through the camera orprojector. The drum and spool are rotated by mechanism on the camera orprojector, such mechanism forming no part of the present invention.

The invention consists of a detachable 5' spoolcase comprising incombination with a casing of a drum upon which the film is wound ahollow spindle passing through one side of the casing upon which thedrum is mounted, a spool arranged in line with the drum upon which thefilm is wound after exposure, a second hollow spindle passing throughthe side of the casing upon which the spool is mounted, a leader strippermanently aflixed at one end to the drum and at the other end to theforward end of the film, a second leader strip permanently aifixed atone end to the s 001 and at the other end to the rear of the lm, guidesfor the film as it is fed forward past an aperture in the casing, ashutter for the aperture, further hollow spindles passing through thecasing and a sprocket wheel mounted on each spindle to deliver the filmto and from the exposure aperture.

In my pending application Serial No. 163,- 805 filed Jan. 20, 1927, Ihave described a spoolcase in which the mechanism for feed ing the filmpast the exposure opening is mounted therein whilst in the presentapplication no such mechanism is provided in the spoolcase.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 shows a spoolcase with spools of comparativelysmall diameter and light weight for use horizontally and more particularly applicable for use in a camera, and the film is drawn directlyand intermittently from the supply-spool by the claw-motion which ispart of the camera and serves the double purpose of film feed and filmshift.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the film-gate and exposureaperture.

Fig. 3 shows a spoolcase, for use horizontally and more particularlyapplicable for use in a. projector, in which the film is continuouslyfed and moved by a pair of small continuously rotating sprockets, isformed into loops, and is intermittently shifted by the claw feed of theprojector.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of Fig. 1.

The spoolcase A shown in Fig. 1 is of the simplest form, the exposureaperture a being at the front end of the case and the spring plates K K1forming the spring gate being arranged immediately behind the aperture0:; The front plate K is provided with an aperture is for the exposureof the film. The rear plate K1 is formed without an aperture when thespoolcase is for use in a camera as shown in Fig. 1, but is providedwith an aperture corresponding to the aperture 70 when the spoolcase isintended for use in a projector to allow the light to be projectedthrough the film B. The supply-spool C and receivingreel D are arrangedtandem fashion behind the spring-gate K, K1.

The spools C and D are carried in the case A or they may be mounted in aseparate frame arranged therein. The cores 0 of the spools are hollow tofit over projecting spindles in the camera (orprojector) and be driventhereby.

A slide or shutter 702 is arranged at the front of the exposure aperturea so that the latter can be closed whenthe spoolcase is not in positionin the camera.

The claw or similar device E for intermittently moving the film B ismounted in and forms part of the camera or projector.

Crown teeth, pins and slots or other suite able devices are provided toform a driving connection between the hollow cores 0 of the spools andthe projecting spindle on the camera (or projector). I

When the spoolcase is inserted into the camera or projector the ends ofthe cores of the spoolsO and D engage the spindles of the camera orprojector and the claw is engaged with the traction perforations of thefilm B. In this simple form of spoolcase the claw E serves the doublepurpose of drawing the film directly from the supply-spool O and also ofintermittently moving it across the exposure aperture.

The spoolcase shown in Fig. 3 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 butcontains spools O and D of larger size and is consequently provided withtwo continuously rotating sprockets F mounted on'hollow shafts to engagespindles on the projector when the case is placed in position thereon.The spoolcase shown in Fig. 3 is intended for use in a projector andaccordingly the rear spring plate K1 is provided with an aperture forthe passage of the light and the case is provided with a chamber A toreceive a prism for reflecting the light from an outside source throughthe film. Idle rolls 7 are preferably provided to guide the film to andfrom the spools.

The two sprockets F feed the film B from and to the spools and the filmdescribes loops or slack 6 between the sprockets and the spring-gate K,K1. The pull, load or strain of the two spools O and D is thus taken bythe continuously rotating sprockets F and the only load upon the clawmovement E is the weight of the film in the loops 6.

A slide or closure member 102 is arranged at the front of the exposureaperture a so that thelatter can be closed when the spoolcase is not' inposition in the camera, or projector. The claw or similar device E forintermittently moving the film B is mounted in and forms part of thecamera or projector. When the spoolcase is inserted into the camera orprojector the ends of the cores of the spools O and D engage thespindles of the camera or projector and the claw of the camera orprojector engages with the traction perforations of the film B in thespoolcase.

Idle rolls 7 are preferably provided to guide the film to and from thespools.

The sprocket F1 feeds the film B from and to the spools and the filmdescribes loops or slack 6 between the sprocket arid the springgate K,K1. The pull, load or strain of the two spools O and D is thus taken bythe continuously rotating sprocket F1 and the only load upon the clawmovement E is the weight of the film in the loops 6.

I spoolcase Leader-strips The leader-strips X by which the film isattached to the spool and reel may be of the type made of paper or filmbut I prefer to use those of the unbreakable type, of very strongconstruction, for example a double thickness of linen tape, or a doublethickness of paper with a linen tape insertion, the threelayers beingcemented together, or a double thickness of strong parchmentized papercemented together.

There are two such leader-strips X of long length, one attached to eachend of the. film, one leader being attached by its other end to thespool and one to the reel. The effect of this arrangement is topermanently connect spool and reel so that either one or the other canbe used to give motion to the film-strip, the spool, reel, two leaders,and one film forming a single connected movable unit.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent isA detachable spoolcase for use in cinematograph film apparatuscomprising in combination with a casing of a drum upon which the film iswound, a recessed hub upon which the drum is mounted, a hollow sleeveafiixed to the casing upon which the hub rotates, crown gearing withinthe recess in the hub by which said drum is rotated by a projectingspindle from the cinematograph appa ratus, a spool arranged in line withthe drum upon which the film is wound after exposure a recessed hub uponwhich the spool is mounted, a hollow sleeve afiixed to the casing uponwhich the hub rotates, crown gearing within the recess in the hub bywhich said spool is rotated by a projecting spindle from thecinematograph apparatus, a leader strip permanently aflixed at one endto the drum and at the other end to the forward end of the film, asecond leader strip permanently affixed at one end to the spool and atthe other end to the rear end of the film, the film being intermittentlyfed forward by claw mechanism on the cinematograph apparatussynchronized with the rotation of the projecting spindles.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

